Spring-loaded frog gig



Sept. 3, 1963 J. 1.. HORN, JR. SPRING-LOADED FROG GIG Filed Sept. 10, 19 6112 Jesse L. Horn Jr.

g INVENT'OR.

BY M f fiq,

United States Patent 3,102,355 SPRING-LOADED FROG GIG Jesse L. Horn, Jr., 401 Freeman Road, Central Point, Greg.

Filed Sept. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 222,281 '7 Claims. (Cl. 43-6) The present invention relates to a longhandled manually usable frog spearing and landing implement, more particularly, a novel and useful spring-loaded frog gig.

Briefly the invention comprises an elongated sectional handle, a projecti-ble and retractible spring-loaded gig slidingly mounted on the handle and which is normally 1 One feature improvement has to do with a sectional handle, that is, a handle made up of telescopically connected axial sections, 'at least three sections; namely, a forward section, a rearward section and an intervening intermediate or central section, all of said sections being provided with eyes which serve a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The invention features a slidingly mounted gig which is carried by the forward section, a shaft with retainer means which is slidingly carried by the rearward section and a flexible connection between adjacent cooperating ends of the shaft and shaft portion of the gig.

More explicitly, novelty is predicated on a bracket which is characterized by shouldered keepers which latter serve to accommodate a cross member on the cooperating shaft which cross member provides a retainer or detent and wherein the shaft is provided adjacent the detent with a finger accommodating ring which assists in readily setting the retainer. i a

'In addition the invention features novel trigger means which is hingely mounted and is characterized by a frame member which embraces the cooperating rod section and which is provided on a bottom portion thereof with ,a fingerpiece for convenient controlled operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 7 p

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a spring-loaded frog gig constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the same with the detent or retainer means set and the trigger means readied to be triggered into use;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view which functions primarily to bring out the constructional details characterizing the bracket and retainer which provide the trigger released retainer means;

FIGURE 3 is an exaggerated view in section and elevation taken approximately on the section line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a similar enlarged sectional and elevational view taken on the plane of the section line 4-- 4 in FIGS. 2 and 4 in particular.

See

Reference will first be made to the sectional handle. This handle is designated as an entity by the numeral 8 and it comprises (see FIG. 1) a forward section 10, a rearward section 12 and an intermediate central or complemental section 14. The rearward section '12 is provided at its rearwardmost end with an appropriate corrugated or equivalent anti-slipping handgrip or sleeve 16. The forward end of this section 12 has a socket or sleeve 18 riveted thereto as at 20 (see FIG. 5). The projecting sleeve portion or socket serves to accommodate the reduced telescoping end portion 22 of the central section 14. The forward end of section 14 is provided with a similar sleeve 24 riveted thereto as at 26 and with the socket portion serving to accommodate the telescoping end portion (not detailed) of the forward handle section 10. These sections may be of wood, plastic material or whatever the manufacturer decides upon and may be either solid or hollow. They are providedwith aligned longitudinally spaced mounting and guide eyes one of which is denoted at 28 in FIG. 1, the same held in place by suitable wrappings 3t and serving to accommodate a portion of a projectile and retractible rod which is here described as a shaft 32. The median portion of the shaft is slidable in 3, is a part of an L-shaped bracket 34- whose shank 36 is wrapped and held in place as at 37. The forward or le ading end of this shaft is provided with spearing .means comprising a fork 38 having suitably constructed penetrating tines 40. A similar rod member 42 provides a second shaft and the latter is slidingly mounted on. the handle section 12 as shown to advantage in FIG. 2. :It will be noted that this shaft is slidably supported in a mounting and guide eye 44 having terminal end portions 46 'held in place by cord or suitable wrappings 4d. The median portion of the shaft is provided with a right angular crossmember '50 which constitutes a detent, The end of the shaft terminates in a finger ring 52 which facilitates setting the detent '50. The adjacent end portions of the shafts 32 and 42 are operatively connected together by a wire or suitable flexible element 5 4 which is slidable through an eye or eyes 56 whereby to simultaneously operate said shafts. A

Novel bracket means 58 is provided and is shown More explicitly this bracket means comprises a pair of spaced parallel rod members the end portions 6%) of which are held in place by the wrapping means 62. The other end portions 64 are held in assembled relation by similar wrappings 66. The intermediate portions of the rod members are fashioned into inclined ramp-like portions 68 which in turn are bent down at right angles and provide shoulders 70 for the detent 50. The intermediate portions of the wires are formed with anchoring eyes or coils 72 which serve to accommodate lateral end portions 74 on the arms 76 of the hinged manually releasable trigger means 78.

The righthand end portions (FIG. 2) of the arms 76 of the trigger means are joined integrally with a substantially rectangular frame member 80 which embraces or surrounds the rod and has its lower portion arranged on the underneath side of the handle and centrally provided with an appropriate fingerpieoe 82. It will be evident that the finger ring 52 is caught hold of and properly utilized in order to set the releasable retainer means 50. With the aid of the ring 52 the shaft 42 can be conveniently positioned between the spaced parallel inclined ramp-like members 68 and consequently the component parts then suitably aligned for easy setting. The cross member 50 straddles the arm portions 76 of the hinged trigger means 78 with the result that the device is set for operation as illustrated in particular in FIGURE 2. When the user exerts pressure on the fingerpiece 82 and thus triggers the upwardly swinging frame 80 and arms 76 the latter serve to disengage the keeper or retainer '50 from the shoulder 70 with the result that the springloaded gig 38 (FIGS. 1 and ,3) comes into play. Accordingly, the spring 35 (FIG. 3) forcibly projects the fork portion of the gig some eight inches more or less beyond the front of the handle in a manner to spear and land the prey.

' It is believed that a careful consideration of the spe- 'cification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction of the component parts and the manner in which they cooperate in a combination sense. Accordingly, a more extensive description of the structure is thought to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur .to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A manually usable spearing implement comprising an elongated handle embodying a plurality of axially aligned complemental handle sections; namely, a forward section, a rearward section, at least one intervening central section and coaoting means between adjacent ends of the sections whereby they are rigidly but separably connected together, longitudinally spaced cooperating guide eyes mounted on the forward section, a gig embodying a shaft slidingly mounted in said guide eyes, said shaft being provided on a forward end thereof with a fork and said fork and forward end portion normally projecting beyond the corresponding forward end portion of said forward handle section, a coil spring surrounding said shaft between the guide eyes and having one end connected with the shaft and the other end joined with said forward section, said rearward handle section having guide eyes, a second shaft slidingly mounted in the lastnamed guide eyes, a flexible connection between adjacent rearward and forward ends, respectively, of said first and second-named shafts, and. means on the rearward handle section and cooperating end of the second-named shaft to releasably retain the latter in a given set position.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and manually trippable trigger means mounted on said rearward handle 4. In a structure of the'class described, comprising an elongated rigid implement handle, bracket means mounted atop a predetermined portion of said handle, said bracket means being provided with check shoulders for a readily applicable and releasable detent, a spring biased shaft slidingly mounted on said handle and having a portion thereof cooperating with the bracket means, said portion being provided with a detent and said detent being engageable with said check shoulders when in a set position, said shaft having a rearward end and said rearward end being provided with a finger-ring.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 and, in combination, trigger means embodying a pair of arms having end portions hingedly connected to component portions of said bracket means, said arms being adapted to underlie and releasably engage said detent, said arms being provided and connected at rearward end portions thereof with a right angularly disposed frame, said frame having an inner portion underlying a cooperating portion of the shaft and being adapted for lifting and raising the shaft and detent on the shaft, said frame also having a lower portion provided with a fingerpiece.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 and wherein said bracket means embodies a pair of complemental members having end portions attached to said handle and having intermediate portion-s arranged in a'manner to define said check shoulders and, in addition, a pair of inclined portions which function as ramps, said detent bridging cooperating portions of the ramps and being slidably cooperable therewith and also straddling and being releasably engageable with said check shoulders.

7. In an implement of the class described, bracket mean-s comprising a pair of coplanar spaced parallel wire members residing atop the handle means and having end portions secured on the handle means and thus secured thereto, intermediate portions of said wire members having oblique angled bent portions and complemental right angularly bent portions cooperating in defining a pair of ramps and cooperating check shoulders, the intermediate portions of said wire members also having eyes oppositely disposed and aligned with each other, trigger means comprising a pair of arms having forward end portions provided with turned in ends hingedly mounted in their respective eyes, rearward end portions of said arms having a complemental frame attached thereto, said frame embracing the handle means, a reciprocable shaft slidably mounted in additional eyes provided therefor on said handle means and having a fingergripping ring at a rearward end and having a portion fitted operatively in the space between ramps, that. portion thereof adjacent said check shoulders having a right angularly disposed detent which constitutes a retainer, said retainer being releasably engageable with said check shoulders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,089,713

Penn May 7, 1935 

1. A MANUALLY USABLE SPEARING IMPLEMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HANDLE EMBODYING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY ALIGNED COMPLEMENTAL HANDLE SECTIONS; NAMELY, A FORWARD SECTION, A REARWARD SECTION, AT LEAST ONE INTERVENING CENTRAL SECTION AND COACTING MEANS BETWEEN ADJACENT ENDS OF THE SECTIONS WHEREBY THEY ARE RIGIDLY BUT SEPARABLY CONNECTED TOGETHER, LONGITUDINALLY SPACED COOPERATING GUIDE EYES MOUNTED ON THE FORWARD SECTION, A GIG EMBODYING A SHAFT SLIDINGLY MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDE EYES, SAID SHAFT BEING PROVIDED ON A FORWARD END THEREOF WITH A FORK AND SAID FORK AND FORWARD END PORTION NORMALLY PROJECTING BEYOND THE CORRESPONDING FORWARD END PORTION OF SAID FORWARD HANDLE SECTION, A COIL SPRING SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT BETWEEN THE GUIDE EYES AND HAVING ONE END CONNECTED WITH THE SHAFT AND THE OTHER END JOINED WITH SAID FORWARD SECTION, SAID REARWARD HANDLE SECTION HAVING GUIDE EYES, A SECOND SHAFT SLIDINGLY MOUNTED IN THE LASTNAMED GUIDE EYES, A FLEXIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN ADJACENT REARWARD AND FORWARD ENDS, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND-NAMED SHAFTS, AND MEANS ON THE REARWARD HANDLE SECTION AND COOPERATING END OF THE SECOND-NAMED SHAFT TO RELEASABLY RETAIN THE LATTER IN A GIVEN SET POSITION. 